TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video aired on April 19, 2024.
Two UT Tyler teams placed first and third in a nationwide contest, winning thousands of dollars in funding to support underserved communities in clean energy transitions.
Last month, the 2024 U.S. Department of Energy American-Made Community Energy Innovation Competition concluded with the third and final impact phase, where the top three collegiate teams competed for their share of the $100,000 grand prize. Teams from the university's Tyler and Houston campuses finished in first and third place.
“We congratulate our two teams of mechanical engineering students, led by Dr. Nelson Fumo and Dr. Mohammad Biswas, and their community partners,” said Dr. Javier Kypuros, UT Tyler College of Engineering dean. “Their concepts show exemplary teamwork, use of technology and collaboration to help improve and benefit communities in need.”
The Tyler campus team, known as Greener CASA, won $45,000 for their project offering free energy audits to help underserved communities find ways to decrease their energy bills. Its members are Pedro Montano and Rafael Reyes, both of Longview, and Diego Diaz, of Puerto Rico.
GreenSynergy, which represents the Houston Engineering Center, won $25,000 to integrate clean energy into education, utilizing solar panels, fuels cells and other technologies to foster learning and sustainability. Its members are Oswaldo Garcia, Peter de Vries, Grant Howard, Muhammad Khan, Arnold Garcia, Anne Josiah, Syed Jafferi, Parth Modi, Rafael Vivanco, all of Houston.
Both teams advanced from initial concept phase in January, competing among 200 schools and later received $15,000 each. In the second stage, each team earned an extra $20,000 and mentorship services to see that the benefits of clean energy are felt in local underserved communities.